Face Down
by threatmantic
Summary: The bond between them was a string, getting pulled at in both directions, awaiting for the day it finally broke. The aftermath of the snap, however, would be the downfall for them both. Song fic. NxM
1. Face Down

Hey everyone! New multi-chaptered story! I really shouldn't be writing more when I haven't even finished my others, but writers block is hard to write with. Please read and review, and I am sorry Natsume's such an ass in this story.

**Parings: **NatsumexMikan, KokoxSumire, KitsumexAnna, YuuxNonoko, TsubasaxMisaki, RukaxHotaru

**Summary: **She thought she chose this for the better; he thought for the worst. If only he knew what was really going on when he came home drunk.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice, and I probably never will.

Mikan and gang are 27

Tsubasa and gang are 30

Youchi and gang are 22

* * *

_Do you feel like a man when you push her around?_

_Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?_

_-The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus_

* * *

"Natsume, are you okay?" Mikan asked her husband as he came home from work.

Natsume eyed Mikan, "None of your business women!"

"Sorry Natsume, I was just worried that you might be drunk again," Mikan's bangs covered her eyes, as well as her tears.

SLAP

"Don't talk to me like that, bitch!" He shouted after leaving a red mark on Mikan's cheek.

"I didn't mean to!" Mikan tried to defend whatever she did wrong.

He struck her harder, "You are not innocent, so stop trying to be! I hate your guts! Please remind me why I even married you! You are nothing but a useless money waster!"

Mikan didn't even try to stop the tears anymore; this happened every night when he was drunk, and she still couldn't get used to those hurtful words.

Mikan hung her head down, "Sorry."

Not being able to take her apologies, Natsume, once again, hit her as hard as he could, "I can't take you anymore. Leave the house."

Mikan faked a smile, "Okay, let me just get my things. I will stay at Hotaru's tonight." She went upstairs not bothering to whip the tears that are now cascading down her cheeks, 'When did all this start?' she thought to herself, 'He wasn't like this until he was hired by a girl named Luna Koizumi.'

Before she packed for the night at Hotaru's, she stared in the mirror at the new bruises forming on her cheek. Applying some make-up to any where bruise was about to form, she sighed. No one knew what Natsume did to her, and she was grateful for that. They would force her to get a divorce, and she didn't want that. She loved Natsume, and she couldn't bring herself to leave him, even if he wanted it. Not wanting to deal with Natsume again, Mikan climbed with her belongings out the window and to Hotaru's house.

* * *

"Mikan?" Ruka said surprised when he opened the door to find her with a luggage, "What are you doing here at 2 in the morning?"

Looking down to avoid contact with Ruka's eyes, Mikan began, "Natsume was too busy for work, and I figured it would be better if I just left him alone until he finished it all, so I came to stay with Hotaru."

Ruka's eyes softened, he knew it was a lie; they probably had a fight. Ruka opened the door and invited her in, "Hotaru, Mikan's here!"

Hotaru sighed, "Let her come upstairs. I am in the guestroom."

Mikan ran as fast as she could up the stairs and into the guestroom. Mikan hugged Hotaru, and Hotaru responded. Mikan didn't know, but Hotaru knew what Natsume had been doing to her. She had once saw him hitting her through the window, but never said anything, knowing it would make her best friend sad.

Mikan sobbed uncontrollably, "I am sorry Hotaru. I didn't mean to wake you or ask to stay at your house again."

"It's okay."

"It's just that Natsume's always busy with work," Mikan lied as she tried to smile, but only a frown appeared on her face.

* * *

"Thanks again Hotaru, Ruka-pyon!" Mikan waved goodbye to the couple with a smile, and started waking towards her house. 'Natsume should be sober now,' she thought.

"Hey!" A voice greeted her.

Mikan spun around and as she saw the person the voice belonged to, her eyes widened, "Tamon?"

He smiled at her, "It's been a long time Mikan." His cerulean eyes met her hazel ones.

"Your hair, it used to be blonde, but now it's the same as mine! What happened?" Mikan asked staring at her childhood friend with wide eyes.

Tamon stifled a laugh, "That was for an acting job, I dyed it back to my normal hair color." Mikan sighed, Tamon was successful, by the age of six, and he was already a well-known actor. Between the ages seven and ten, Mikan and him were inseparable best friends. But, at age thirteen he had a job in Spain and had to leave her behind. That's when she met Hotaru.

"Silly me!" Mikan laughed, "How was Spain?"

Tamon's face turned serious, "We will talk about that later, but first, last night when I got back, I saw something."

Mikan smiled, "What did you see?"

_Flashback (Tamon telling Mikan what he saw)_

_Tamon's POV_

_Mikan is going to be so surprised when I show up at her door; her parents gave me her address. _

_When walking by the window, I saw a raven haired lad entering the house, and Mikan greeted him asking, "Natsume, are you okay?" I was excepting him to smile and say, 'Yes Honey,' but no, what he did was not what I had hypothesized. _

_The man named Natsume shouted at her,_ _"None of your business women!"_

_Mikan was on the verge of tears, "Sorry Natsume, I was just worried you might be drunk again."_

_Then I heard a slap as well as him say, "Don't talk to me like that, bitch." I couldn't take it anymore, and ran away looking for help, but didn't find any._

_End of Flashback and Tamon's POV_

Mikan frowned, "Oh that."

"Mikan, that raven haired boy is abusing you!" Tamon shouted, "Why do you still stick by him? HE HURTS YOU!"

"I do admit when he is drunk he hurts me."

"So this is a regular thing?" He asked, worry etched in his eyes

She nodded "but when he is sober, he is sweet. I love him, and I promised myself I would stick by him."

" Are you wearing make-up to cover it up?" He asked.

Once again Mikan nodded, "I have to buy new makeup every two weeks."

The two stayed silent, until they heard a husky voice speak around them, "Oh Mikan, I don't know why I married her? She is so annoying." Mikan's eyes widened; right now he was sober, and usually he wouldn't say that when he was sober.

"Natsume, she is your wife, you love her, that's why you married her!" A voice, Mikan recognized as Ruka's reasoned.

"Love her my ass. I hate that bitch." Natsume calmly replied. Tamon couldn't listen to that bastard talk anymore, so he walked up to Natsume and slapped him.

"What the hell?" Natsume asked.

"Don't you ever, I mean ever, talk about Mikan that way! First you abuse her when you drink to much alcohol, and even when you are sober, you are an ass. You are lucky to have her. Anyone else would have realized that a long time ago!" Tamon shouted at him. Natsume's and Ruka's eyes widened.

"Tamon, stop!" Mikan said grabbing his hand trying to pull him away from Ruka and Natsume, "They don't know about what happens at night! No one does, expect for you!"

Tamon's eye twitched, Natsume doesn't even know what he does to Mikan, "Well allow me to enlighten them. Every time you come back to Mikan drunk. You yell, swear, and hit her. Have you ever noticed why Mikan buys make-up so often, but she seldom wears it! That's because she buys it to cover up all the bruises you give her!"

Natsume's eyes widened as he watched Mikan dash away from him with Tamon following, "Mikan wait." Natsume began to chase after him, but Ruka stopped him.

"Natsume, she isn't going to want to see you. Besides, now don't you have what you want! You guys can finally get a divorce; now you don't have to deal with her!" Ruka said getting angry at how insincere his best friend is, "Don't try to get back with her. You don't deserve Mikan." This was the first time Natsume had ever seen Ruka so mad.

* * *

AND THAT'S A WRAP! I might have used the wrong wrap there, but whatever. Please drop a review saying as to whether you think Mikan should end up with Tamon or go back to Natsume. For me, right now it is Tamon, but things may change as the story progresses. Natsume does have reason behind the things he said when he was sober, but I still don't think they are acceptable! Please review.


	2. There's A Fine, Fine Line

HEY EVERYONE! I have been inspired to update, more like blackmailed, but whatever. So I am sorry that this chapter may appear rushed, because it most likely is. Thank you everyone for reviewing.

**Melyss****: **Thank you for the review, and yes I think I should to, but…sometimes I just write and it turns out the way I didn't want it.

**Anim3gurl: **Miss Blackmail… Thanks for the review, and now since I am updating, you shall too. Tehee that rhymed. :D

**X****fayex bbzx****: **Thank you for your review. It seems to be 75% for Tamon and 25% for Natsume… but don't be too mean to Natsume. By chapter 7 or 8, you will understand why he does those things. Keep on reading.

**XD: **Thanks for your review. We will just have to wait to see where the story goes.

**Aquamarine Lacus****: **Thanks for the review; I hope you like my story. :D

**BookNNNerd1218****: **I will assure you Natsume will change, but he may or may not get Mikan back. Thanks for reviewing. :D

**Anonymous: **Well now you can. :D. Thanks for the review.

**Blank: **Thank you for the review. And his reason may or may not be legitimate; it depends at the perspective you look at it from.

**P****ink-heronsGAA****: **Thank you for reviewing. And if you hear Natsume out in the later chapters; you might begin to think he does deserve her.

**Msdgirl****: **Thanks for the review. You seem to be pretty resentful towards Natsume. Haha. But by chapter 7/8, if you are still reading, it will explain why he it's in his subconscious to abuse her. I shouldn't be defending him, but hey everyone deserves their chance! :D

**My BitterSweet FairyTale****: **Thanks for the review. You don't have to wait any longer, because here it is!

**CrimsonCutie13: **Thanks for the review. I hope you enjoy.

**Akatsuki Utaou****: **That's a… interesting idea. Lol. When I first read it, I started cracking up, because all the sudden Natsume just comes back and is like, "I can swim good." And than we you said she opened the door with the ladle; I thought if that was even possible…. The end of your review kind of confused me though… you just started saying lalala, which also made me laugh really hard. :D You are forgiven, because I act like that a lot too. Thanks for the review.

**This. Pen. Is. Red.:** Thanks for the review, and maybe your mind will change as we get into the story more.

* * *

"_There's a fine, fine line between love and a waste of your time._

_And I don't have the time to waste on you anymore._

_I don't think you even know what you're looking for._

_For my own sanity, I gotta close the door._

_And walk away."_

_-Kate Monster: Avenue Q_

Mikan wore a sad smile as she glanced at her old house one more time. Natsume was at work at this time, so she sunk in, placed signed annulment papers on their, no his, bed, and grabbed her luggage. She sighed; Mikan wasn't divorcing Natsume because she wanted to, but rather the fact that he wanted to. She wouldn't cause the man she loved to suffer anymore. It was insane for her to stay with him anyway. This marriage would only lead both to grief.

"Mikan," she heard a husky voice call out.

Once she recognized just whom the voice belonged to, her eyes widened and she stopped in her tracks, "N-Natsume." After realizing he wasn't going to speak she began, "Goodbye, the papers are on the bed."

Natsume walked into the house, not knowing what to say, and didn't catch the final words she spoke to him, "No matter what, I will always love you."

* * *

"Damn it! Damn it all," Natsume yelled as he noticed the papers on his bed; it was really ending. Natsume didn't know that when he came home from work, he abused her, nor why he said those words when he was sober. He did love Mikan Sakura, more than his own life. He was just getting sick of her always going over to Ruka's. He was convinced she was having an affair with Ruka. But no, it was his entire fault that she had to go over there, because he was a drunk. Frankly, he didn't remember getting drunk at all. His family was all alcoholics and he vowed he would never become one himself.

'_When did this all start?' _He asked himself, '_We have always been so happy in_ _our marriage; I don't remember having any problems.'_ But then it all clicked for him; how would he know anything, when she was bottle up everything. That's when Natsume began to blame Mikan for the divorce.

* * *

Ruka looked at himself in the mirror as he splashed water in his face, _'Was it really right to get so mad at Natsume. He was my best friend! Was, Ruka, was, as in no longer. He hurt Mikan so much; I can never forgive that.'_

"Ruka, are you okay?" His wife asked as she walked into the bathroom, "Ever since yesterday, you've been acting strange."

The blond sighed, "Natsume's been abusing Mikan, and they are getting a divorce."

Hotaru remained expressionless, "I know Ruka."

"What? You could've told me! We could have helped Mikan through it!" Ruka started yelling.

"Mikan didn't want anyone to know. Besides she is strong, she can make decisions on her own. She is in love with Hyuuga, so she wanted to stick by him." Hotaru explained.

Ruka heaved another sigh, "I guess your right."

* * *

"Damn that Hyuuga! Mikan how could you have let him do that to you!" Tamon was pissed and this lunch he was eating with Mikan wasn't making it any better.

"Tamon, trust me it's alright." Mikan tried to calm him down.

"Really Mikan? Really? Then why do you have bruises from him. Why have you probably cried your heart out every night with no shoulder to cry on?" Tamon questioned.

"May we talk about this later? Let's just enjoy this lunch." Mikan said trying to not relive her experiences with Natsume.

"Okay fine." Tamon sighed, "So when was the last time you ate out like we are now?"

Mikan titled her head at the question, "With whom?"

"Natsume, ever since you got married, when was the last time that you two went on a date?" Tamon was curious as to how their relationship was when Natsume was sober.

"A date that I asked him out on or that he asked me out on?"

"Him asking you," Tamon didn't think there would be much a difference anyway.

Mikan frowned, "Never."

* * *

"Thanks Tamon," Natsume heard an angelic voice, "Even though you kept pestering me with questions, it was fun. We hadn't done this for a long time."

'_Mikan,' _He instantly recognized, _'Going out with another man.'_

"Yeah, yeah," the boy rolled his eyes, "Just remember you have something to tell me later."

'_She was cheating on me,' _was the one thought that crossed Natsume's mind. He was fuming with anger. _'She must've made up the excuse that I was abusing her just so she could get out of the house and go on dates with this guy named Tamon!_ _And finally she divorced me! What a slut!' _"Surprisingly Tamon actually showed me a good time," Mikan voiced aloud as she walked toward Hotaru's home.

* * *

"So you had a date, huh?"

Mikan spun around to see just whom the voice belonged to and was shocked because this was their second encounter of the day, "Natsume?"

He smirked, "You just wanted to get rid of me so that you could go out with this Tamon guy, right?"

Mikan's eyes widened, "What? That's not true at all!"

SLAP

"You are a fucking liar!" Natsume yelled not letting his tears escaped his eyes, "You just made up all that stuff about me being drunk and hitting you! I don't even drink! You just needed an excuse."

Tears cascaded down her cheeks, "How could you even think that? It just goes to show you that I was a fool in middle school for ever believing that you loved me!"

"You are right; you are a fool. I never loved you. I married you because it was expected of me. No one in their right mind would marry a bitch like you." Those were Natsume's finally words as he walked away from the now weeping Mikan. If only she knew, he had been lying.

* * *

Done! Okay I didn't like this chapter. At first, I was going to make Natsume more likable, but than no all the sudden I start making me hate him more. So drop a review and also say if you have changed your mind on whom Mikan should go with. For some reason, as much as I hate him, I kind of want her to go with Natsume. Oh and can any of you guess why Natsume doesn't remember getting drunk or if he even does? I have given subtle hints, so I think at least one of y'all will be able to put the pieces together.


	3. Alibis

Hey everyone! I am updating! Yay! Sorry the last chapter was short, I knew exactly where I wanted to end it, and I couldn't think of anything to add in between. Thank you everyone for reviewing. Okay the song Alibis by Marianas Trench is actually about an eating disorder, but I posted one quote that doesn't have to be taken that way.

**anim3gurl****: **I know it was short, but I was blackmailed by a certain someone, so I was in a rush to write it. :D

**My BitterSweet FairyTale****: **…me too. I just love reading stories with a lot of problems.

**Rainbow and Shinning Stars****: **Yep same age. Thanks for the review.

**Blank: **Well I plan on doing that! Are you the same blank as last chapter? And by the other ones, are you taking about my other stories, because those will eventually be finished. :D

**Akatsuki Utaou****: **How'd you guess? About the Hotaru thing.. That was exactly what I had in mind. Well you know what they say: Great Minds Thing Alike. Lalalala

**Melyss****: **Sadly, I do, but that's just because I know his secrets. :D Maybe once you find those out, you will warm up to him. And I know I made him so horrible, but it just happened; it was just suddenly typed. T.T

**.****: **Hello! Thank you for your review; it made me smile a lot. :D I am going to make Natsume gain their trust again and hopefully yours. It's just going to be hard for him to gain Mikan and Hotaru's…

**Xfayex bbzx****: **Thank you for the review, and I am sorry for making Natsume so easy to hate… Haha.

**Msdgirl****: **I hope I can change that to. All of the reviews are all like: I HATE NATSUME! Now I kind of feel bad for him. Lol.

**Claerine****: **Thanks for reading and I am glad you love it!

**mikanluchia728****: **Maybe, maybe not! I give you props because you were the only one to guess! Thanks for giving me a review for both chapters, even though you came at the second.

**Nanagi-chanz****: **Hehe, I think he does: his looks. :D But beside that… in this story, I can't think of one! Thanks for reviewing for both chapters, even though you started reading this story by the time the second chapter was up!

Dedication: anim3gurl, because if it wasn't for her, there wouldn't have been a second or third chapter due to my laziness.

* * *

_This is not the man I hoped to be  
and I'm just trying to stop the bleeding  
I don't know how to word it  
I just started to deserve it  
and all my faces are alibis, and me  
I'm half the man I wanted to be_

_-Marianas Trench_

"Hyuuga," Natsume heard a pissed off girl voice out, "Do you even know what you said to her?"

The crimson eyed lad clenched his teeth, "Imai."

Hotaru rolled her eyes, "You really don't think you abused her, huh?"

"There is no way in hell I abused her! She is a crazy, madwoman! I should have noticed it before I married her" Natsume yelled finally meeting Hotaru's icy glare.

She tried to calm herself as she walked away saying, "Suit yourself." However, not before purposely dropping a photograph.

Natsume's eyes widened as he looked at the photo; it was Mikan covered in discolorations all over her body with a caption saying: Now where else could she have gotten these bruises, Hyuuga?

'Maybe I really was causing her physical pain?' He wondered as guilt ached in his heart, 'But none of the other facts add up!'

* * *

Mikan sobbed hysterically; she couldn't take him anymore. Some part of her found him crueler when he was sober than drunk. She just didn't understand him, 'He didn't even remember being drunk. What a load of crap!'

"Mikan, are you okay?" One of her favorite senpais, Misaki, asked. Although Mikan originally planned to stay with Hotaru and Ruka, she chose against it, since she had already caused them numerous problems. They needed time to themselves once in a while. Besides she hadn't seen Tsubasa and Misaki in a while, it would be fun spending time with them, once she finished wallowing in self-pity.

Wiping her tears, Mikan responded, "Yeah, just a little tired."

Misaki frowned at the lie, "If you say so. Tsubasa and I are here if you need someone to talk to."

Mikan tried to smile, but it came out as tears. "He's gone. Natsume and I got a divorce," she whispered. Misaki and Tsubasa, whom had been here the whole time, nodded; they knew that already. Hotaru had called them informing them that Mikan wasn't going to be as happy and explained the reasons.

"I love him so much though," She continued, "I thought it was going to work out. I thought we were soul mates."

Misaki and Tsubasa lips curved downwards once more, and Tsubasa spoke up, "Mikan, it'll be alright. We love you."

"If only he were the one to say that," Mikan sighed right before she had fainted.

"MIKAN!" Tsubasa and Misaki screamed.

* * *

"Subaru, is Mikan going to be alright?" The midnight haired boy asked the doctor.

Subaru nodded and Tsubasa and Misaki sighed in relief, "She just fainted out of a traumatic event or events in her life. Whatever caused those events must stay away from her for a while so she has time to heal."

The couple gaped at the doctor. Mikan has to stay away from Natsume; those two were bound to run into each other somehow. It was fate, "Imai, are you sure?"

"Positive. Mikan can not make any encounters that remind her of the event that is causing her death. Considering when she woke up, she screamed, "NATSUME!" I would advise she stayed away from Hyuuga."

"What happens if she runs into him?" Tsubasa worriedly asked.

Subaru's eyes went grim, "Depending on how many times it happened, she could lose all emotion."

Misaki spoke up, "Is that even possible?"

Subaru sighed, "Yes, but on a physiologic level. Mikan has had too many people in her life leave her, either by death, choice or force causing her an immense amount of pain."

"But Natsume didn't leave her, she left him," Tsubasa defended.

"On a physical level Mikan did leave Natsume, but emotionally Natsume left her. When they started 'fighting' she convinced herself he didn't love her." Subaru heaved another sigh. He loved Mikan like a sister, and seeing her go through all this on her own was unbearable. Hotaru had filled him in on the details, like she did to all Mikan's friends. Good thing Subaru had also studied to be a physiologist as well as a doctor and had helped Mikan move on after her mother's death, or he might have not known what was wrong with Mikan.

"So the only way to avoid this is by Mikan avoiding Natsume?"

Subaru nodded, "She can't come in contact with him for 2 weeks, because that's about how long it will take for the divorce to sink into her mind. Also try to make sure she is never alone. When people are alone, they tend to think."

Misaki and Tsubasa faked a smile and thanked Subaru as they went to get Mikan who was now talking to a hospital nurse.

* * *

"Mikan…" Natsume said aloud as he made his way into her once occupied side of the room. 'That Tamon guy was right; she throws away a lot of cover-up. What have I done?'

"Natsume!" A familiar woman said, "You didn't come to work today, so I dropped by your house to make sure you were okay!"

"Luna," Natsume hissed. He hated his boss more than anything else in the world. She would always try to flirt with him. One time he found her kissing a photo of him in her office, and was that creepy. He didn't even want to know what else she did to it.

"You seem fine," Luna said looking around the place, "Where's your wife?"

"My ex-wife is gone," Natsume admitted. He felt a pang in his heart when he finally acknowledged truth out loud.

Luna smiled a hideous one that Natsume noted couldn't even compare to Mikan's beautiful one, "Too bad, so sad."

"Can you leave?" Natsume was irritated; Luna didn't know a thing about Mikan, so she should stop being such a bitch.

"I can, but I chose not to," Luna attempted to smile cutely, but epically failed, "Now that she is gone, we can get busy."

"Get out of my house before I call the police!"

Luna smirked, "Okay Natsume-honey. You are lucky I spiked your drinks with alcohol though, or else you wouldn't be able to have gotten rid of that useless money waster, as you called her."

* * *

DONE! Does anyone hate Natsume a little less now? And congrats to mikanluchia728, she actually got it right. I knew one of you readers would be able to do so. Sorry this chapter is kind of bad. My personal opinion: TERRIBLE! I wanted to write this for Mikan's birthday, so that's why it is rushed. Oh and the next chapter will probably be a filler about the past. Sorry if you didn't want that. Please review and stick with my story. Haha now the plot's just getting ridiculous, huh? If people don't like this chapter, I shall rewrite it! And aren't you all jealous of Subaru; doctor, physcologist, RULER OF THE WORLD! Okay, the last one is fake, but whatever.:D


End file.
